Here's another fishy feature because.. well, I watched "Extreme Fishing with Robson Green"! Today's feature isn't as informative as the first - it will only teach you how to identify the fishes - because of time constraints and inadequate net resources (there are cool facts about swim bladders and migration patterns but that will have to wait for another time), but hopefully, future features will be better! I'll also be working on an introduction to the animal classification method (think animal family tree) as well because frankly, words like "carangidae" and "albuliformes" are alien to me. We need to understand the basics of animal classification before those terms start making sense! Do look forward to those!
http://fishwrecked.com/files/images/IMG_1018edited.preview.jpg
Species: Elagatis bipinnulata
Genus: Elagatis
Family: Carangidae
Order: Perciformes
Phylum: Chordata
Kingdom: Animalia
Rainbow runners can be easily identified by their long, torpedo shaped bodies, bright yellow, deeply forked tail and amazing colouration. Two bright aqua blue bands (with a broader olive to yellow stripe in between) run horizontally along the side of the body which may appear to be pale green/silver/grey above and white at its belly. Rainbow runners have two dorsal fins (the fins on top!), although the posterior (back) rays of the long second fin have separated into a finlet. The first dorsal fin consists of 6 spines, the second dorsal of a single spine and 25 to 30 soft rays, with the last two as a separate finlet.
What are finlets?
http://www.leisurepro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/finlets.jpg
Finlets are small non-retractable fins located on the body margins between the second dorsal (top!) and anal (bottom!) fins and the caudal (tail!) fin of fishes.
Sources:
http://fish-on.com.au/what-the-fish/q-z/rainbow-runner/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_runner
II. Bonefish (I hereby name it the Cartoony Eyes Fish ʘ.ʘ)
https://www.deneki.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Andros-Island-3.jpg
Species: Albula vulpes
Genus: Albula
Family: Albulidae
Order: Albuliformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Phylum: Chordata
Kingdom: Animalia
Bonefishes live in shallow inshore water and are notoriously difficult to catch because of their high sensitivity to sound and vibrations (motorboats are out of the question - use a paddle!). Moving like forks of lightning (careful with the reel or you may lose your finger, warned Robson Green), these silver fishes are also known as the 'grey ghost' or 'silver ghost' for their elusiveness in the oceans. It is silvery in color with dusky fins. The bases of the pectoral fins are yellow. (I can't confirm that they have yellow-rimmed pectoral fins because it's not obvious in pictures online)
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonefish
III. Barracuda (this here, looks like a prehistoric baddie of the sea)
https://www.toonts.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/greatbarracudagps-1451D6DD37B6AE66292.jpg
Species: Sphyraena barracuda (there are currently 28 species)
Genus: Sphyraena
Family: Sphyraenidae
Order: Perciformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Phylum: Chordata
Kingdom: Animalia
"I bite, and I bite hard."
Barracudas have a snake-like appearance, with prominent, sharp-edged, fang-like teeth, all of different sizes, set in sockets of their large jaws. They have large, pointed heads and their lateral lines extend straight from head to tail. Their two dorsal fins are widely separated, with the anterior fin having five spines, and the posterior fin having one spine and 9 soft rays. The posterior dorsal fin is similar in size to the anal fin and is situated above it; the pectoral fins are placed low on the sides. Barracudas are usually dark blue, dark green, white, or gray on its upper body, with silvery sides and a chalky-white belly.
Barracudas are ferocious, opportunistic predators, relying on surprise and short bursts of speed, to overtake its prey. They are also scavengers.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barracuda
IV. Tarpon (fish with the double chin!)
https://gcrl.usm.edu/public/fish/images/tarpon/tarpon.side.turning.jpg
Species: Megalops atlanticus (Atlantic tarpon) / Megalops cyprinoides (Indo-Pacific tarpon)
Genus: Megalops
Family: Megalopidae
Order: Elopiformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Phylum: Chordata
Kingdom: Animalia
Tarpons have shiny, silvery bodies covered with large scales. They have large eyes with adipose eyelids and broad mouths with prominent lower jaws that jut out farther than the rest of the face (lower mandible extending far beyond the gape). The fins contain no spines, but are all composed of softrays. In addition, the dorsal and caudal fins have dusky margins and often appear dark.
Sources:
https://www.atlanticpanic.com/species/view/tarpon/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarpon
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